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Monday, 15 October 2012

Healthier nutritious homemade breakfast cereals

For a meal that is now widely known as the 'most important meal of the day', many food companies out there aren't really doing a great job of providing breakfast options that give a healthy start to the day. For some reason it is actually quite difficult to find cereals that don't contain a high amount of sugar (and highly processed sugar at that), a multitude of 'numbers' (additives and preservatives), and a whole heap of over processed grains that need stuff added back into the mix to make it look healthy.

Actually I would say that apart from Weetbix, plain porridge, and maybe one or two others, the rest of the breakfast cereal aisle should be picked up and dropped into the confectionary aisle.

And that's a really hard thing to hear when you think to yourself, well what can I buy then? Don't want to be eating Weetbix every day for the rest of my life!

Cereals aren't typically something we think to make ourselves, but it is actually really easy to do. I have posted a recipe previously for Granola, as well as crispy corn and rice cereal. Well since then I have come up with another couple of options for you, and the 'nutty seedy clusters' tie in well with our latest 'task' in the STEPS program, being adding seeds to your diet.

You could add dried fruit of your choice to the Nutty Seedy Clusters
once they have cooled if you wish, and the clusters seem to have become a
snack of choice around here too - a great school lunches snack idea!
If there is a 'no nut' policy at the school, replace almonds with
sunflower seeds.

The 'cocoa crunch' is my answer to the (sadly) popular kids cereal, Coco Pops. I have used quinoa, puffed brown rice and corn to give a more nutritious base to what is just white rice in Coco Pops. I have used virgin coconut oil, raw cacao powder for an antioxidant boost, and coconut sugar and raw honey for sweetness. Regular cocoa powder, raw or brown sugar and regular honey could, of course, be used. In the picture below you can see I have blended it to be quite a small crumb, however you could leave the puffs as is like in the Nutty seedy clusters.

I get my cacao powder and coconut sugar from Loving Earth, check out their website for yourself and see what awesome products they have!

So give these a go and you'll realise how easy it is to make your start to the day a healthy one!

Cocoa Crunch Cereal

Ingredients

Method - Conventional

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Place quinoa in a small saucepan and place over moderate heat until grains start to become fragrant and 'pop'. You may want to keep the lid close by to shield them and keep them in the pan! Set aside to cool (make sure you don't burn them).

Place coconut oil and honey in the same small saucepan and heat gently until oil is melted.

If desired, place puffed rice, corn and quinoa in a food processor and 'pulse' until the 'crumb' size you are after is reached. If you want them left whole, just pop them all in a bowl.

Add cacao powder, sugar and oil mixture to the puffed grains and mix until thoroughly combined.

Place on tray and spread out evenly.

Bake for approx 10 minutes, stirring once to ensure even browning.

Allow to cool completely on tray before storing in an airtight container.

Method - Thermomix

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celcius. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Follow step 2 above.

Add cooled quinoa, puffed rice and corn to the TM bowl and chop on speed 7 for 30 seconds. Chop for less time if a larger 'crumb' is desired, or don't chop at all.

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About Me

Everything about me screams food, food and more food!!! I have always worked with food, studied food (I'm a nutritionist) and even before I was working or studying I was cooking up a storm in the kitchen as a young child. I guess you could call me a social and professional FOODIE!
My latest recipe development project is hot off the press - a recipe booklet for the McKenzie Foods fantastic legume product range. Receive your free copy of 'home made' by contacting McKenzie Foods on +61 (03) 9398 4011